Introduction:

Arabic is a Semitic language, like Hebrew and Aramaic. Around 292 million people speak it as their first language. Many more people can also understand it as a second language. The Arabic language has its own alphabet written from right to left, like Hebrew. Since it is so widely spoken throughout the world, it is one of the six official languages of the UN, the others being English, French, Spanish, Russian, and Chinese. Many countries speak Arabic as an official language, but not all of them speak it the same way. The language is very important in Islam because Muslims believe that Allah (God) used it to talk to Muhammad through the Archangel Gabriel (Jibril), giving him the Quran in Arabic. Many but not all Arabic-speakers are Muslims.

Arabic is also becoming a popular language to learn in the Western world even though its grammar is sometimes very hard to learn for native speakers of Indo-European languages. Many other languages have borrowed words from Arabic, because of its importance in history. Some English words that can be traced to Arabic are sugar, cotton, magazine, algebra, alcohol, and emir.

• Use a language learning app 

There are many smartphone apps available to help your child build an Arabic study habit and learn on the go, many of which offer a great service for free. You might decide that one of these apps sounds more up your street than all of the others, or you may want to download them all and try them out for size – you’ll likely find a combination that helps you meet your specific needs. 

• Watch Arabic Cartoons 

If you want your child to get better at listening skills, try playing cartoons in Arabic for your child. If your kid is interested in a specific cartoon or nursery rhymes, use Google or social media to search for local cartoons and media platforms. Short movie clips or rhymes are great if your child only has a few minutes to spare.

• Listen to the alphabet spoken by native speakers

To get the sounds of the letters right, get your child to try to mimic the sounds as pronounced by a native speaker. Since the sound may differ depending on the dialect of Arabic the person speaks, make sure your child stays consistent with the dialect you plan to teach them. He/she can watch and listen to a basic video introducing the Arabic alphabet and the sound each letter makes. There are plenty of similar videos on YouTube that can also help you.

• Listen to Arabic rhymes

Listening to Arabic rhymes is a great way to immerse your kid in the language as well as become more familiar with common words and phrases. The typically repetitive nature of rhyme lyrics reinforces the words and phrases in their mind. Major rhymes streaming services typically have an Arabic YouTube channel or Arabic playlists. Check with their favorite streaming service to find out what’s available. You may be able to download their albums or watch music videos for some of the songs your child likes. 

• Read children’s books in Arabic 

Your child is likely to learn how to read in your native language with simple children’s books. This is also an effective way to start reading Arabic. Copying the sentences from the stories can help your child practice your writing as well.

• Label items around your house with their Arabic names 

Use sticky notes to write the Arabic word for objects in your home and label them. Every time your child sees the object, he/she will repeat the Arabic word for that object aloud. Over time, they will come to think of that object by its Arabic name first. This can be a great way to expand your vocabulary as well as get your brain used to thinking in Arabic.